(VOVworld) - The Defense Ministers of China and Vietnam have agreed to deepen defense ties between the two countries, thus bringing pragmatic interests to their people and contributing to peace and stability in the region and the world at large.

Ceremony to welcome Vietnamese Defense Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich (Photo: VOV)

Vietnamese Defense Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich and Chinese Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Chang Wanquan held talks in Beijing on Tuesday as part of Lich’s official friendly visit to China. The ministers cherished the fruitful development of the relationship between the two armies, with strategic dialogue, the exchange of delegation, border guard cooperation, joint maritime patrols, the sharing of experience on UN peacekeeping operations, and especially the Vietnam-China Border Defense Friendship Exchange Program.

Regarding the East Sea issue, Lich affirmed Vietnam’s consistent stance that the two countries should observe common perceptions reached by their high-ranking leaders and solve disputes by peaceful means in line with international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS). They need to seriously follow the Vietnam-China agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related matters and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and work to agree on a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) as soon as possible. The two sides should take no actions that might complicate and expand the disputes, particularly by not using or threatening to use force to address the disputes, and maintain peace and stability in the East Sea.

At the end of their talks, the two ministers witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the Vietnamese Institute for Military Strategy and China’s Academy of Military Science.

During the visit, Vietnam’s military delegation also paid a courtesy call to Politburo member and Vice President of China Li Yuanchao at the Great Hall of the People.